Hair comb



l. ANDERSSON HAIR COME` April 4, 1939.

Filed Feb. .2, 1937 2 sheeiS-sheel 2 Patente-d Apr. 4, 1939 UNITED STATES i *i o 2,153,126

PATNT FFICE 9 Claims.

The present invention refers to improvements in hair combs and is in particular applicable to combs of the kind described in my Patent No. 2,063,777, the object of which is to produce a sanitary comb by providing means for removing any dust, grease, dandruif or other particles of dirt which may settle between the teeth of the comb. v

The comb in question consists of the comb proper for combing the hair and the auxiliary comb or cleaner, for cleaning the comb proper. The two combs are pivoted together so that the two combs can be folded up with the teeth of the one comb occupying the spaces between the teeth of the other comb.

The main object of the present invention is to provide positive means for locking the two combs in their folded or unfolded position.

Another object of this invention is to provide modified means for guiding the teeth of the auxiliary comb or cleaner.

A third object is to provideV means for automatic unfolding of the combs when they are released by the locking means, and a fourth object is to provide the comb proper with a comb back which will serve as a stop or abutment for the cleaner when the combs are unfolded, and being so arranged that the cleaner with teeth pointing in a radial direction relatively to the pivots may be rotated 180 on the pivots without being obstructed by the said comb back.

To accomplish the first object I provide grooves or means at the two ends of the auxiliary comb for guiding and holding a plate or slide which covers more or less one side of the auxiliary comb. Said plate normally rests against the teeth of both combs when in a folded up position and prevents them from being unfolded. To unfold the combs, the plate 'is moved from its normal position to allow the comb back of the comb proper to swing clear of the plate when the comb is rotated on the pivots.` When in the fully opened up position the plate is pushed back over the comb back of the comb proper, 45 thereby locking the two combs in their unfolded position and preventing them from rotating on their pivots while the comb is being used.

To provide automatic unfolding of the combs when the plate is withdrawn, helical springs are arranged around the pivots, the one end of which is engaging a hole in the comb proper and the other end of which is engaging a recess in the auxiliary comb. These springs are under torsional stress and have the tendency to uncurl and, so when the two combs are unlocked, will force the combs to rotate on their pivots in opposite directions until they are arrested, which occurs when the comb back of the comb proper abuts against the teeth of the cleaner. For further useful purpose the locking plate may be provided with a mirror on one side and with a pocket for a nail le on the other side.

To guide the teeth of the cleaner, the teeth of the comb proper are extended up on the side of the comb back and engage the spaces between the teeth of the cleaner when in an unfolded position. Instead of this, separate projections or fins for guiding the teeth of the cleaner mair be provided and aligned with the teeth of the comb proper. This will make it possible to use narrower teeth on the comb proper.

Accompanying drawings illustrate the invention where,

Fig. l is a side elevation of a comb, embodying this invention, folded up and locked, showing` the locking plate with mirror and nail ile.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same comb but with the locking plate moved to allow the combs to be unfolded.

Fig. 3 is a similar side elevation, but with combs unfolded and not locked, one comb end of the cleaner being partly in section and showing the pivot.

Fig. 4 is a similar View but with the locking plate pushed down and the combs locked.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the combs unfolded and locking plate removed.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross section of the combs on line 66 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged cross section on line 1 1 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged cross section on line 8--8 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged cross section on line 9-9 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 10 is a similar section on line l--l of Fig. 5.

Fig. 1l is an enlarged cross section of a folded up comb with a modified comb back of the comb proper and teeth extensions, the locking plate having been removed.

Fig. 12 is a similar view but with the combs in an unfolded position.

Fig. 13 is an enlarged cross section of a folded up comb, with modified comb back of the comb proper, separate guide' projections or ns, narrower teeth, and the locking plate removed.

Fig. 14 issimilar View but with the combs in an unfolded position.

Fig. 15 shows to a larger scale the end View of an unfolded comb with locking plate in position, and

Fig. 16 is a fractional side elevation of Fig. 15, partly in section, showing the arrangement of a pivot and a helical spring.

Fig. 17 is an enlarged section on line I'I-I1 of Fig. 1 showing part of the locking plate resting in the guide groove.

Fig. 18 is a detail View of a spacer used for supporting the pivot shown in Fig. 16.

Fig. 19 is a detail view of the helical spring used in connection with the pivot shown in Fig. 16.

Referring to the drawings, Figs. 1 to 10, the comb proper consists of the comb back I, comb ends 2 and the teeth 3, and the auxiliary comb, hereafter called the cleaner, consists of the comb back 4, comb ends 5 and teeth 6. The two combs are joined by the pivots 'I, which consist of screw threaded studs screwed into the comb ends of the cleaner, with the studs resting in holes in the comb ends of the comb proper, (Fig. 3).

In the folded up position the comb proper has been rotated on the pivots 1 so that the teeth 3 occupy the spaces between the teeth 6 of the cleaner. The locking plate 8 which slides in the grooves 9 located in the comb ends of the cleaner, is in its normal position resting against the teeth of both combs and preventing them from being unfolded, Figs. 1, 6 and 17. This locking plate has been made to provide a cavity I0 for a nail le II and a larger cavity I2 for accommodating an oval mirror I3. This mirror closes the cavity I0, which thereby becomes a closed casing for the nail file. The nail file I I is pushed in through an opening I4 at the end of the cavity, Figs. 1 and 17.

To unfold the combs the plate 8 is pulled up as shown in Figs. 2 and 7, thereby allowing free path for the comb back I when the comb proper is rotated on the pivots, as indicated by the broken line position, Fig. 7. The comb proper is rotated until the comb back abuts against the teeth of the cleaner, the sides of which have been shaped to fit the contour of the comb back I, Figs. 3 and 8. Now the locking plate 8 is pushed down as far as it goes, which causes it to rest against the combback I and thereby preventing the comb proper from being rotated back to its folded up position, Figs. 4 and 9.

If it is desired to use the mirror the locking plate is pulled out of the grooves 9, leaving the combs as shown in Figs. 5 and 10. The grooves 9 are open at the one end and closed at the other end 31 to form a stop for the locking plate.

To fold up the combs, the plate 3 is again pulled out as shown in Figs. 3 and 8, allowing the comb proper to be rotated back with the teeth entering the spaces between the teeth of the cleaner, whereupon the locking plate 8 is pushed back into its normal position as in Figs. 1 and 6.

In the comb illustrated in Figs. 1 to 10, part of the teeth E of the cleaner has been cut out to t the comb back I of the comb proper, causing the teeth of the cleaner to point in a tangential direction relatively to the pivots. This makes it possible to swing the combs apart which results in the two combs laying more or less in the same flat plane when fully unfolded. However, it produces som'e empty spaces between the teeth of the comb proper when the combs are folded up. 'Io avoid this the teeth I5 Figs. lland 12 or teeth 22 Figs. 13 and 14 of the cleaner have been made to point in a radial direction relatively to the pivots I'I and I9 respectively, and are so shaped as to more or less fill out the spaces between the teeth I8 Figs. 11 and 12, or teeth 2I Figs. 18 and 14 of the comb proper when folded up. To enable these combs to be swung apart 180, the comb back I6 Figs. 11 and 12 or comb back 2|] Figs. 13 and 14, of the comb proper, has been partly offset to one side of the center line through the pivots and the teeth, allowing the cleaner to be rotated 180 on their pivots before it is obstructed by the comb back of the comb proper.

To guide the teeth of the cleaner, the teeth of the comb proper have been extended up on to the side of the offset part ofthe comb back and engage the spaces between the teeth of the cleaner when unfolded. Instead of extending the teeth, separate projections or ns 38 Figs. 13 and 14 may be provided on the comb back of the comb proper. These fins are in alignment with the teeth 2| of the comb proper and will guide the teeth 22 of the cleaner into the spaces between the teeth of the comb proper as shown by the broken line position Fig. 14. Here the teeth 22 of the cleaner will still be in engagement with the spaces between the iins 38 at A when they enter the spaces between the teeth 2| of the comb proper at B. This makes it possible to use narrower teeth on the comb proper.

To make the unfolding of the combs automatic on the withdrawing of the locking plate, helical springs may be providedV round the pivots as shown in Figs. 15 and 16. The pivot consists of the screw threaded stem 23 which carries the stud 24. The stem. 23 is screwed into a screw threaded hole 25 in the comb end 26 of the cleaner and the stud 24 protrudes through a hole 2l in the spacer 28, Fig. 18 into a hole 29 in the comb end 30 of the comb proper. The spacer 28 serves as bearing for the stud 24 and reduces the overhang of the pivot. The helical spring 3I surrounds the stud 24 and has one end 32 bent parallel to the stud axis, enabling it to be pus-Hed through a hole 34 in the comb end 30 of the comb proper. The other end 35 Fig. 19 of the spring engages a groove 36 in the screw threaded hole 25 in the comb end of the cleaner. 'Ihe spring has been put under torsional stress before mounting and has a tendency to curl back to its normal condition and will tend to swing the two combs in opposite directions on their pivots, which will tion but obviously may be carried out in different ways without departing from the principle of this invention.

I claim:

1. A combination of two combs pivoted together so as to enable them to be folded up with the teeth of the one comb occupying the spaces between the teeth of the other comb, a movable plate arranged normally to rest on one side of the combs to prevent the said combs from being folded up or unfolded, means for holding, and for enabling said plate to be moved way from its normal position for the purpose of releasing the said combs for folding up or unfolding.

2. A combination of twocombs pivoted together so as to enable them to be folded up with the teeth of the one comb occupying the spaces between the teeth of the other comb, grooves arranged on the outermost comb ends, a plate mounted in said grooves and normally resting over one side of the combs, the grooves allowing the plate to be slid, :7 5

or moved in and out of the way for the purpose of obstructing or releasing the combs for folding up or unfolding.

3. A combination of two combs pivoted together so as to enable them to be folded up with the teeth of the one comb occupying the spaces between the teeth of the other comb, a movable plate arranged normally to rest on one side of the combs to prevent the said combs from being folded up or unfolded, means for holding and for enabling said plate to be moved away from its normal position for the purpose of releasing the said combs for folding up or unfolding, cavities arranged in said plate and facing the combs for the purpose of accommodating a mirror and a nail file.

4. A combination of two combs pivoted together so as to enable them to be folded up with the teeth of the one comb occupying the spaces between the teeth of the other comb, lateral ns protruding from the comb back of the one comb and aligned with the teeth of said comb, said ns being in engagement with the spaces between the teeth of the other comb when in an unfolded position and guiding said teeth of the last said comb into their respective spaces between the teeth of the other comb when folding up the combs.

5. A combination of two combs pivoted together so as to enable them to be folded up with the teeth of the one comb occupying the spaces between the teeth of the other comb, means for locking the combs in the folded up position and means for automatically unfolding the combs when released from the locking means.

6. A combination of two combs pivoted together so as to enable them to be folded up with the teeth of the one comb occupying the spaces between the teeth of the other comb, means for locking and unlocking the combs in their folded up position, helical springs curled around the pivots, the` one end of which engages the one comb and the other end of which engages the other comb, a spacer between the adjacent comb ends of the two combs and the one end of the spring protruding through a hole in said spacer.

7. A combination of two combs pivoted together so as to enable them to be folded up with the teeth of the one comb occupying the spaces between the teeth of the other comb, the teeth of the one comb pointing in a radial direction relatively to the pivots and made to rest with their sides against the comb back of the other comb when in an unfolded position, said comb back being made to allow the rst said comb to rotate from its folded up position to its unfolded position.

8. A combination of two combs pivoted together so as to enable them to be folded up with the teeth of the one comb occupying the spaces between the teeth of the other comb, the teeth of the one comb being made to rest with their sides against the comb back of the other comb when in an unfolded position, said comb back being made to allow the rst said comb to rotate 180 from its folded up position to its unfolded position.

9. A combination of two combs pivoted together so as to enable them to be folded up with the teeth of the one comb occupying the spaces between the teeth of the other comb, the teeth of the one comb and the comb back of the other comb being made to engage and rest against each other when in an unfolded position.

IVAN ANDERSSON. 

